Families - Then and now

Students apply their knowledge of communities as they compare and contrast the home life described in Sarah Plain and Tall to the home life described in Because of Winn-Dixie.

A lesson plan for grade 3 Information Skills and Social Studies

By Debbie Fox and Sherri Hendrix

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Related topics

• Learn more about Because of Winn-Dixie, Sarah, Plain and Tall, changes, community, compare and contrast, families, similarities and differences, and social studies.

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Learning outcomes

Students will learn that although home life has changed from the early 1900’s to the early 2000’s, there are still many ways that their home lives are similar. The changes that have occurred within these families have been influenced by events taking place within their communities, then and now.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

5 days

Materials/resources

• Books - Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia McLaughin and Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• Grading Rubrics for each student
• Venn Diagram Handout for each student
• Pencil and paper for each student

Technology resources

• Computer with printer
• Word Processing Program such as Microsoft Works
• Acceptable Use Policy on file for each student

Pre-activities

The teacher reads the stories Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia McLaughin and Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. During the reading of the books, the teacher and students will discuss the family life of the book characters. They will also discuss the influence the community had on family life.

The teacher will introduce, or review…

• the Venn Diagram (or other graphic organizer) for comparing and contrasting
• definition of what makes up a community.

It is helpful for the students to have a working knowledge of a word processing program such as Microsoft Works.

Activities

Day One

1. Give each student the scoring rubrics (paragraph and presentation) and discuss them.
2. Give each student a Venn Diagram handout.
3. Students label one side of the Venn Diagram with “Family Life in the 1900’s” and the other with “Family Life in the 2000’s.”
4. Students add six or more facts to the outside circles of the Venn Diagram contrasting the children and their families in the 1900’s to the 2000’s.
5. Students add 3 or more facts to the overlapping part of the circles telling how the children and their families are similar in the 1900’s and 2000’s.

Day Two

1. Students will use the information from the Venn Diagram to write a paragraph describing how family life is alike in the two books.
2. Students will use the information from the Venn Diagram to write a second paragraph describing how the family life is different in the two books.
3. Students will use the information from the Venn Diagram to write a third paragraph analyzing how the communities of each time period influenced the changes within the characters’ family lives.

Day Three

Students will edit their three paragraphs.

Day Four

1. Students will type their paragraphs on a computer using a word processing program such as Microsoft Works.
2. With the teacher’s approval, students will print their paragraphs.

Day 5

Students will present their information to the class by reading orally their paragraphs.

Assessment

Venn Diagram and Written Paragraphs graded using the attached Rubrics: paragraph and presentation

Supplemental information

Comments

The lesson is intended for higher achieving third graders. The reading level of the books used is above grade level. The lesson could be used with lower achieving students. It would require added time to complete each activity, and the rubric would need to be adjusted to lower the students’ frustration level. It is important that the students be given the Rubric at the beginning of the unit. Their success depends upon how much or how little work they choose to complete.